


Civilisations

by GrumpyJenn



Series: Friends Through Time and Space [7]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood AU - Fandom
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-09
Updated: 2012-06-19
Packaged: 2017-11-07 08:49:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/429146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpyJenn/pseuds/GrumpyJenn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone - or something - has got the Doctor, and River asks for help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Caerdydd

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thesesongsaretrue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesesongsaretrue/gifts), [Amie33](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amie33/gifts), [SnowyAshes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowyAshes/gifts), [areyoumarriedriver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/areyoumarriedriver/gifts).



> Little bit AU on the Torchwood side, mostly because I haven't seen Miracle Day

  
“Tell me about him, Doctor,” said Evie entreatingly, and the young-looking man looked up from his... whatever the fiddly little task he was doing was. “About Jack when he was young.”

“You knew Jack when he was young,” the Doctor pointed out; “When you met him he was younger than when I met him the first time.” _Really, this is a bit concerning_ , he thought, _has she forgotten already_? He knew that human memory wasn’t as reliable as Time Lord, but still, surely she should remember _that_. She was only about... he cocked his head, looking at her. “How old are you, Evie?”

“Thirty-three, by my ‘personal durational time,’ as Jack calls it. Why?”

“But you don’t remember Jack when he was young? That was only...” the Doctor counted on his fingers... “Nine years ago for you. Hmm...” he pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his inside breast pocket and aimed it at her. Evie wondered whether he knew how phallic the screwdriver was... especially since it vibrated. She rather doubted it. “No head injuries,” he muttered, “and no organic brain damage...”

Evie caught the look of exasperated affection River gave her over the Doctor’s head. “Sweetie, I think she’s talking about Jack when you first met him, with Rose during the Blitz.” She smiled at him as he turned to look at her. Evie felt a distinct mental sensation of _giggling_ coming from the center console, and the Doctor’s eyebrows rose almost to his hairline as he realised all three of the females on his ship - including the one who _was_ the ship - were laughing at him. He made a harrumphing noise in the back of his throat, but grinned good-naturedly.

“What do you want to know?” he asked Evie, “the life and times of Captain Jack Harkness, con man, ex-time agent, etcetera?”

“Well,” Evie said, “I’ve been thinking quite a lot about his memories of himself since... since the thing with Boe...” she paused for a moment. It still made her sad, but at least she no longer felt as though Boe had died. “And it seems to me that he perceives his younger self as a... well... a horrible person, shallow and unkind and basically an arsehole of a young man. Unless he changed _drastically_ between Boe and then, and again between then and now, he wasn’t that bad. But he truly thinks he was. Was he?”

“An arsehole? Not really. More the loveable rogue sort. Shallow certainly, but charming and not unkind.” The Doctor smiled at her. “Still is, really.”

“He’s _not_ shallow,” protested Evie vehemently, “He’s got issues like everyone - maybe more than most because of his age - but he’s kind and he’s a good person. He--”

River interrupted her. “Nobody here would dispute that, Evie. He’s a good man,” she said, and her expression went distant for a moment. “But of course _you_ could find the redeeming qualities in... oh, in _Hitler_ , Evie, you’re just that sweet.”

“Well, you know they say Hitler loved his mum,” said Evie, deadpan, and even the Doctor laughed out loud at that one. Evie had noticed he rarely laughed; he smiled often, and he chuckled now and then, but she’d almost never seen him laugh. It was a nice laugh, sort of a crow of delight, and for a moment his demeanour matched his youthful face. River flashed Evie a smile.

“How do you even know about Hitler, Evie?” River asked. “Twentieth-century fascist dictators a hobby of yours, are they?”

“Sort of, actually,” Evie laughed, “Because he was a contemporary of Sigmund Freud, and we’ve a class about him and the others - “The Psychology of Political Leaders of Earth”. Last year I taught the class myself. Don’t really like it,” she said, wrinkling her nose in distaste, “because there seem few of them who really were doing what they saw as good for their country. You’ve met several, Doctor, but one I found fascinating was hmmm... Harriet Jones?”

“Flydale North,” said the Doctor, “and then Prime Minister. She _did_ do what she thought was best for her country. Her whole world, actually. And eventually more than redeemed herself for her mistakes. She was a good woman.” He looked sad again, but it wasn't the achingly eternal sort of sadness Evie often saw in him, and then he perked right back up again. “Right! We’re almost there. Would you like to surprise Jack, Evie? We can turn off the brakes, turn on the invisibility...”

“He’d like as not come up shooting, so thanks, but no. And Doc?” She walked to him, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him hard on the lips. “Thanks for bringing me. I’ve never visited the twenty-first century before.” She turned and gave the same treatment - a little more lingeringly - to River. “You too.” And then she gave them both a cheery little salute and bounced out the TARDIS’ doors.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Captain Jack Harkness was tired. This was not usual for him, as immortality - in his case - did have its perks as well as its downside. But he and Gwen had uncovered a Weevil nest in a warehouse by the waterfront and well... it had been a long day. He’d sent Gwen home to Rhys and the baby and escaped with his life because he got her home before dark, with no more than a couple scratches on her. By taking the brunt of the Weevils attacks himself, of course. He was good at it, at redirecting their attention to him, because he could take it without permanent damage. But he was _very_ tired. Hell, even Rhys had noticed, told him he was right bloody knackered and he should get out and go home. So he had done just that. And now he was finally lying flat on the enormous and comfortable bed that was the only indulgence he really allowed himself, because this was his flat but it wasn’t really a _home_. Home meant people you could love and trust and who loved and trusted you back.

There was a knock at the door and Jack groaned. If that little old lady from that flat on the third floor was knocking to set him up with ‘a lovely girl’ (or a lovely boy) again, well, he wouldn’t be held responsible for what he might do to her. Oh hell, of course he would, she was a nice old lady and she just wanted him to be happy. He was perfectly content with the occasional bed mate here in the twenty-first and a constant lover in the fifty-second, thanks. But he couldn’t tell _her_ that. So he groaned and rolled his eyes, but he got up from the bed and staggered to the door, leaning his forehead against it for a moment before he wrenched it open.

“Hello, lover,” said Evie in a voice that hit him low in his belly, and Jack blinked and breathed her name. “You look knackered,” she continued, “and if you’ll invite me in, I’ll take care of that for you.” He only nodded, breathless that she was here, that she was now, and stepped aside so she could enter the room. She tossed her handbag on the table by the front door and leapt at him... and then stopped. “Um... Jack? Like I said, you look knackered. And you smell worse.” She smiled at him, softening her words. “Maybe you could have a bath? I can find things out here... if that’s okay with you.”

“Weevils,” Jack said, as though it was an explanation, “I spent all day clearing out a nest of the damn things. And if it was anyone but you, I’d say no, but _you._..” he trailed off, staring into her face, then leaned down and kissed her, touching only with his lips. “I’ll clean up. You’ll find food in there and clean bedding over...” he trailed off again as she pulled a large pillow out of her very small handbag. She grinned at him.

“Gift from... well, from Sexy, I guess,” Evie said. “It’s bigger on the inside. Now go, take your bath. I’ve got this covered.” He went, closing the lavatory door and resting his head against it for a moment before he turned on the water. He stepped under the hot water and listened to the unfamiliar sound of someone rummaging around in his front room. Someone he trusted out there by herself. At this point in his life, the only other person he’d be easy with leaving her out there alone was Gwen... and that was a different kind of relationship altogether. Jack lathered up his hair to get the Weevil stink off and let his mind drift.

Evie hummed to herself as she changed the sheets on Jack’s bed. _Funny,_ she thought, _how some things change so little in three thousand years and more_. Flat sheets still didn’t lie flat at the corners, even in her own time. She had a little more trouble in his kitchen, because she didn’t know how any of the appliances worked, but found some food ready to eat in his cold box. While she was rummaging he came up behind her, clean and smelling of soap and _Jack_ , and snuggled his large frame up to her smaller one. Her breath hitched, but she stood and turned to face him, reached up and drew his head down for a kiss. “Look at you,” she whispered against his mouth, “so much nicer, and already half-hard for me with one kiss. Mmm....” She licked at his lips and he parted them to let her in, then moaned as she nipped at his lower lip.

“Christ, Evie,” he groaned into her mouth, and scooped her up to carry her to the bed. He laid her down gently and knelt by her to undress her, but she caught his hand.

“No,” she said in a soft but firm voice. “Tonight I’m going to work on you. In fact, I’m going to drive you crazy. Trust me; I’m a psychiatrist and I know about crazy.” She gave him a wicked little smile. “I didn’t bring any restraints, but I’m happy to use whatever comes to hand.” Jack said nothing, just stared at her with wide eyes and gestured to the bedside table. “Good,” Evie said with some satisfaction, “get what you’d like me to use and I’ll use it.”

“I... Evie, I...” Jack’s mouth was dry and his voice hoarse. He swallowed hard and tried again. “I am _more_ than willing to play this game with you, but I thought you didn’t _like_... I...” he trailed off.

“I don’t like _being_ restrained, Jack,” she said softly, and shivered with an atavistic fear, “especially if there’s a blindfold involved. You know why, better than anyone. But I want to experiment with being in charge, and I’m too small to um... enforce my requests, and I know I can trust you. If you’re interested.” She looked suddenly shy, he thought, and Evie was _never_ shy about sex.

Jack choked slightly. “If I’m _interested_?” he said, both rhetorically and incredulously. “God, Evie, so _much_.” He licked his lips and leaned over her to get a pair of handcuffs and a couple of neckties out of the drawer. He shuddered as Evie reached up and stroked his skin through the opening in his dressing gown. After he retrieved the items, he flopped onto his back beside her on the bed and untied his robe, then caught his breath as she pulled the belt out from its loops and used it as the first restraint, straddling his chest to tie it around the bedpost and his left wrist.

Evie could feel Jack’s heart pounding against her inner thigh and oh _bless_ but it was making her hot. “Handcuffs,” she said shortly, and held out her hand. His eyes were closed and he was breathing hard, but he managed to fumble for the cuffs and give them to her. She fastened the bracelet around his right wrist and then shifted up his body to fasten the other around the bedpost. As soon as there was a little ‘click’ from the cuffs, she felt Jack raise his head between her thighs and nuzzle at her through her soft trousers. For one endless moment she hovered there, throwing her head back and giving into the sensation, but then she sighed and swung her leg around to kneel next to him. “Uh-uh,” she said huskily, “my turn to tease you, maybe torture you a little. I won’t hurt you though, Jack, you know that, right?” He opened his eyes and looked into hers, and nodded.

“I know. You never would.” Jack stretched a bit, making sure the cuffs fit snugly but not too tight, and looked up at Evie. “Do what you like, my lovely Evie; you couldn’t hurt me.” He licked his lips again, blue eyes dark with wanting. “Just please... do what you like _now_.” And he arched up into her eager hands as she stroked him over and over again. Just as he was beginning to reach a peak, she stopped, gave him an impish little grin, and stood. Jack groaned at the loss of contact. “ _Evie_ ,” he ground out, “you really meant it when you said you were going to tease.”

“I did,” Evie said, a bit smugly, and started to remove her clothes. She slid the soft trousers and lacy knickers over her curvy, rounded little hips and down her legs, bending to take each leg off over her feet. She straightened and started to unbutton the tiny little buttons - of which Jack thought that there were _far_ too many - of her blouse slowly and one at a time, pausing between each. When she was done, the blouse hung off her shoulders, open all the way down, and Jack’s gaze got if anything even more heated. He made an inarticulate sound of longing and Evie smiled at him, let the blouse slide off her shoulders and slither to the floor. Then she climbed back on top of him, lying full length along his body, and he groaned again. And then Evie began to move, stroking Jack’s body with her own, grinding and writhing against him until finally - _finally_ \- she took him all the way in, and they crashed into culmination together.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/- 

“Mmm...” Evie moaned softly, hours later. “Oh _bless_ , Jack. I liked the restraints for a change, but really, I prefer it when the control is mutual.” Jack smiled into her hair and tightened his arms around her. She’d let him loose after their second climax, and he reflected that there was _another_ benefit of bodily immortality after all as he brought her to a third and then a fourth, before they came apart together again. He kissed the top of her head.

“Now we both need some rest,” he said, and tucked the duvet in around her. “Sleep, lovely Evie, and tomorrow we’ll do the tourist thing - such as it is in Cardiff.” His chuckle rumbled under the ear she had pressed to his chest, and Evie slept. 

The ‘tourist thing’ Jack chose was probably atypical for twenty-first century Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, Earth. Evie suspected that most tourists went to Cardiff for sporting events and the arts, based on the buildings around her. Maybe shopping. Probably _not_ hunting down stray Weevils as Jack called them, although it was clear that said hunting hadn’t been his intent. And it was refreshing that after telling her once to stay back, Jack hadn’t exhibited his usual overprotective streak toward her. And then he had promptly taken her out to lunch at a very nice restaurant with a view of the waterfront. It was a nice day, a normal sort of day, Weevils notwithstanding.

Until the blue box appeared nearly in their laps and a battered and burned River Song staggered out of it, clutching the door frame for support. As Evie dashed up to help her, and Jack to hold her upright, River croaked out, “Help me. He’s gone. The Doctor is gone.”

And then she fainted dead away.


	2. Harrow

“Assorted burns, all superficial, bruises ditto. We’ll get you sorted. I’m a bit worried that you passed out though.” Evie smiled down at River, who was lying prone on the exam table in the TARDIS, looking pale and uncharacteristically fragile.

“They were worse earlier,” croaked River hoarsely, “Time Lord healing factor is a lot faster than human.” She seemed a bit embarrassed at being vulnerable to injury, Evie thought. But then River did tend to be uncomfortable with her own vulnerability no matter what form it took. Jack was pacing up and down, his face grim, and he whirled to face the women.

“Where?” he barked at River, “Who has him?”

“Jack.” Evie’s voice was quiet. “Gently.” Jack glared at her but her blue eyes met his and held unwaveringly. His expression softened and he came to the exam table and took River’s hand.

“I’m sorry, River. I’m just worried.” Jack brought their joined hands up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “What can you tell me?” His dark blue eyes were so concerned, not only for the Doctor, Evie thought, but for River as well. He loved them.

“I don’t _know_ , Jack,” River said miserably. “I’ve the coordinates, but they’re a species I haven’t seen before, and I don’t know what they’re capable of or what they want. Um...” her voice was stronger now, with frustration and annoyance. “Bipedal, brownish skin, yellow hair up in a topknot, beards tied up too, lots of teeth, knives, energy weapons.” She gestured at a burn mark on her skin, winced as her fingers brushed it.

Jack groaned. “Surf boards made of energy they use to fly?” River nodded. “Well. Shit. They’re the Harrowkind. I thought we’d gotten them all. What would they want with you or the Doctor though? They’re not the sort of species that does things on their own - sort of like the Slabs - and last I heard they were in the employ of the Sanctified, chasing a renegade.”

River shook her head and pulled her hand away. “I told you, Jack, I don’t _know_. Maybe they’re working for someone else, or maybe the Sanctified want us dead, or... oh who knows?” She threw her hands up in frustration. “All I know is that they’ve got him locked up in a room where everything is made of wood - so they know enough about him to know the sonic works on everything else - and that I got burned by their energy weapons while escaping.” Her voice lowered to the point where they could barely hear her. “And that I left him there alone...”

“Stop that,” said Evie in a scolding tone, “you were injured. You did the smartest thing possible, by coming to get your... indestructible friend,” she threw a smile at Jack, “and I expect that between the two of you, you can rescue him from _any_ situation!” Her voice softened and she kissed River gently. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Riv.” She kissed River again, more thoroughly this time, and continued, “Did you say he’s locked up in a wooden room? Does that mean he still _has_ his screwdriver? We can work with that.” She sounded more than a little smug and Jack spoke up.

“We?” he asked, “Are you coming with us, Evie?” He sounded rather carefully neutral, Evie thought, and realised that he was feeling protective again. She reached up and kissed him.

“No,” she said simply, “but I’m not stupid, and it can’t hurt for me to have all the facts before you go, Jack. I have to know what to expect in my er... my field hospital. Isn’t that right, Sexy?” The wash of affection slid around her as the TARDIS responded, and she went on to say, “You’ll notice that _she’s_ not particularly worried about him. She knows you can do it. Or have done it, or whatever. _Ugh,_ could someone teach me Time Lordian so I can speak about time travel properly? _They_ must have had the vocabulary for this.” She looked put out and even River giggled a bit, so Evie felt she had done her job.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

“Are you sure you’re ready for this, River?” Evie said worriedly as the older woman pulled her mass of curly hair back into a semblance of control. “It’s only been a few days, and you know as well as I do - better - that Sexy’ll get us there whenever we need to be regardless.” River smiled at her.

I’m fine,” she said, and kissed Evie gently. “I just need to do this. You ready, Jack?” He was wearing a long coat over his shirt and trousers, and carrying an enormous gun. River nodded approvingly, and Evie shuddered slightly; she didn’t want to think about what a gun the size of that one could do to a human being... or any other kind of a living being for that matter. But she’d seen things now - in person and in her friends’ minds - enough bad things to understand that sometimes a little mayhem was called for. So she shuddered but kept silent, and managed a small smile. Jack looked at her standing there, small and worried, and carefully put the gun aside to sweep her up for a kiss.

“Come back safe, both of you - _all_ of you,” Evie said, marveling inwardly at how steady her voice was. She didn’t _feel_ steady at all - not concern for Jack so much because he could always come back, but for River and the Doctor. “I’ll stay here until you come back.” She kissed them thoroughly, first Jack and then River. “Sexy will help me gather any medical supplies I’ll need for three different species, I’m sure. Go.” And as the TARDIS landed silently, they left, and Evie sat down hard in the jump seat by the console to have a cathartic little cry.

_(reassurance)_

“I know, Sexy,” Evie said, wiping her eyes, “but I’m still worried for them. I love them.”

_(agreement, affection)_

“I love you too.” Evie stood up and went to the medical bay. “Can you sort me out for what each of them might need, medically speaking?” And so the two females laid out everything Evie could think of that might be needed to treat injuries for a Time Lord and a human-plus-Time-Lady, with the TARDIS sending Evie negative impressions for things that would actually hurt rather than heal. _Jack can take care of himself_ , physically, Evie thought, _but he may need me in any case_.

“Help...” the voice was faint, coming from outside the front doors, and Evie went to look. “Help me, please...” _Wait,_ Evie thought, _I recognise that voice._ _But how did he get free and why are Jack and River not back if the Doctor is_? She tuned out Sexy’s protests as her training kicked in - if the Doctor was asking for her help she was needed - and opened the doors. She stepped out, looking around for the Doctor, and she heard a rustling noise behind her. She turned toward the noise, got a fleeting impression of a tall brown-skinned figure...

...and then she knew no more as something hissed at her left shoulder.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/- 

“Evie...” said the voice in her head. Or was it outside her head?

 _Go away_ , Evie thought, _my head hurts_.

But the voice - and it _was_ outside her head - was gently insistent. “Evie, you must wake up. Come on, up you get. Good girl.” _Doctor_ , she thought fuzzily, _it’s the Doctor. But he was hurt, he needed me and..._

And Evie woke up all at once, sitting bolt upright and lying down again hastily as her head swam and spots appeared before her eyes. _For such a thin person_ , she thought confusedly, t _he Doctor makes a lovely pillow_. She groaned and he smiled down at her, hazel eyes crinkling at the corners. “Alright, then, Evie?” he asked, and she risked a nod. “Good. Don’t know what they stuck you with, but it looks as though it’s just anaesthetic; nothing fatal.” _Bless_ , she thought, _how can he be so cheerful_? She sat up, and as he saw her struggle, the Doctor put a supportive arm under the small of her back and helped. Then he eased her back against the wall of the tiny room - more nearly a cupboard - they were in and looked at her with some concern. “Too tight? I know... Jack and River said that you...” he trailed off, wringing his long-fingered hands with unspoken worry for her and she smiled at him.

“I don’t like it, but I can bear it as long as it’s not too dark... this dimness is okay,” Evie said candidly. “What I’m more concerned about is how I could be so _thick_.” She said this last with disgust and as the Doctor started to protest, shook her head at him. “I _am_. I heard what I thought was your voice, and I went to help without thinking. I even ignored Sexy telling me not to.” He smiled at her.

“That’s not thick - well, the ignoring Sexy part is a _bit_ thick - but the rest of it, no. They - whoever they are - know me well enough to imitate my voice and my usual run of friends well enough to know that they’ll come and help if I call. No...” he said, and held up a hand to shush her, “you’re not thick, Evie. C’mere.” He patted his own shoulder and Evie shifted gratefully to lay her head on it. “Humans,” the Doctor said affectionately, “so touchy-feely, especially in your century, and so willing to believe that they’re wrong or stupid or thick... in any century. Why is that, Professor Jones?”

“Which?” she automatically responded, the teacher in her coming out. “Touchy-feely for us - me and Jack and River to some extent and lots of others from my time - it’s like... hmm...” she trailed off, thinking, then looked up at him and gestured at their relative positions. “ _This_ kind of casual touch, hugging or kissing, it’s our equivalent of your fish fingers and custard, or your tinkering with Sexy’s controls under her console.” He nodded.

“Comfort,” he agreed, and patted her arm awkwardly. Evie laughed, because it was so obvious he was experimenting with deliberately comforting her.

“You don’t have to do that if it makes you uncomfortable, Doctor,” she said, patting his arm much less awkwardly than he had hers. “It’s fairly clear that hugging is comfortable and acceptable touch for you, but anything else makes you all...” she waved her arms around a bit to demonstrate _flailing_. “It’s who you are, and it’s good. Thus speaks your psychiatrist.” She grinned at him. “Trust me; I’m a doctor.”

“That you are, Evie,” the Doctor said serioously, and kissed her forehead. They sat companionably for a moment, but then he started slightly and looked around, putting a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture. Evie nodded, suddenly wide-eyed. “Stupid!” he berated himself softly, and then began what sounded like cursing to Evie, but in a language she didn’t know, and hadn’t Jack told her that Sexy translated everything? “Now who’s thick, Evie?” the Doctor asked in a furious whisper, both rhetorically and bitterly, and right beside her ear. “They’ve been _listening_. It’s just as well we didn’t say anything about a rescue attempt or anything important--”

But the Doctor’s rant was interrupted by Evie’s shriek as the lights went out and they were left in pitch darkness.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

“Shit!” cursed Jack succinctly as he heard the sound of a muffled scream.

“Was that _Evie_?” asked River quietly, as she scanned the dimly-lit corridor and peeked around the corner, “It sounded like her voice.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Jack said grimly. How had they gotten Evie? And what were they doing to her to make her scream in that high and terrified way? His fretting thoughts went round and round in his head, until _he_ was ready to scream. _Evie_.

“Jack,” whispered River, interrupting the circular thoughts, “Listen...” She paused and they stood back up against the wall, barely breathing in an effort to hear. Slowly Jack became aware of a soft sound, no, _two_ soft sounds, and he sagged in relief. River smiled at him in the gloom. “Yes, they’re together,” she murmured, “And Evie doesn’t sound hurt, Jack, just scared. They’ll be okay; we just need to get them out of here and they’ll be fine.” He nodded and indicated using sign language that he'd take point, then peered carefully around the corner.

The entire pack of Harrowkind - maybe twenty of them - swarmed over Jack, and he gave into the mindlessness of fighting them off while keeping them away from River as best he could. And when it was over, and River was swearing viciously over an oozing knife wound in her right shoulder, he used what was left of his anger to blow open the door of the tiny room where they were keeping Evie and the Doctor. And he staggered back as Evie leapt at him and flung her arms around his neck, babbling about how sorry she was, she’d been thick and stupid, and she kissed him hard on the lips.


	3. Family

River’s curses would have turned the air blue... if the air had understood ancient Gallifreyan. It _hurt_ , dammit, those nasty little knives the Harrowkind used _hurt_ when used on human (or human plus) flesh. But there was no help for it; they’d run into another band of the things on their way back to the TARDIS, and she had had to help Jack take them out. Her beloved was not particularly useful in a fire fight (talking the Harrowkind to death didn’t seem to have worked), and while Evie could defend herself again humanoid muggers, she was effectively a non-combatant in most situations. So River and Jack had taken the brunt of it and that was fine; that was their role.

But it hurt, and it pissed her off.

“I’m so sorry, River,” Evie apologised as she carefully stitched the wound. “I don’t mean to hurt you more, but you’re metabolising the anaesthetic faster than I can stitch.” Her face was troubled.

“Stop it, Evie,” said the Doctor, entering the medical bay from the console room, where he had been consulting with Sexy, “It’s not your fault she’s hurt; it’s mine.” His voice dropped to a mutter, “As always.” Evie reached out absently and patted his hand, the one River was now clutching so hard she left fingernail marks in his skin.

“Is not,” snapped Jack, pushing himself away from the wall he was leaning against. Then he smiled around the room at them. “See, we could go round and round about whose fault it is River’s hurt, mine ‘cause I didn’t keep all of them off her, Doc’s because he got captured, Evie’s for being such a sadistic surgeon... but I’d rather blame the Harrowkind. Or their employers. OK?”

There was a certain amount of embarrassed mumbling from the rest of them, and a snarky, “Yes, Mum,” muttered by the Doctor as Jack held each of their eyes in turn. Jack felt a bit smug; usually that didn’t work, hadn’t worked since... well since the old Torchwood days. He sighed.

“Now,” he said, “do we follow up, take down whoever hired these guys, or do we just count ourselves lucky that it wasn’t worse than a knife wound in our badass River?” He pouted a little. “I didn’t even die _once_ ,” he complained in his best whiny tone, “they were hardly worth the effort.” _Uh-oh_ , he thought as he saw Evie’s stricken look, _too soon for black humour I guess_. “Aw, c’mon, Evie,” he said gently, “if you’re done with River’s arm we’ll go have a little alone time, OK?”

Evie shook her head. “No,” she said, “you stay and figure out whether you’re going to have to ‘follow up’. I’m no use to anyone for that. I’ll be in your room.” She started past him toward the door but he grabbed her arm and used it to haul her to him.

“Evie,” he murmured, his warm breath tickling her ear, “I always _always_ need you, for moral support - in all senses of the word - if for nothing else. Please stay.” The warmth travelled slowly to her lips. “Please,” he whispered into her mouth, and she nodded assent and felt his whole body relax. He kissed her, long and slow, and then swung her around so they faced River and the Doctor. Jack took a deep breath. “Right, so, do we want to go after these guys? I admit part of me wants to kill the lot and be done with it, but well... River? You’re most affected.”

“I’m fine now,” River said, “I’ve been patched up by Evie and the rest will be alright after a good sleep. I’m always up for a fight...” The light in her eyes was fierce as she looked at them, “...But what’s the point in this case?” She looked troubled, and the Doctor slid his hand up to the back of her neck under her hair and whispered something in her ear. She looked back at him with sudden tears in her eyes and sagged against him, looking sad and tired. “I say no. Evie?”

“Me?” Evie asked incredulously, eyes wide. “I’m no good in this kind of fight, and all I can do is patch people up after.” She shuddered. “I... I have to ask, if you do choose to take the fight to them, is it for a good reason? Because I don’t think general aggro - or revenge - is a good reason.” She looked around at the three of them, hoping they’d understand.

“As is often the case, our Professor Jones gets right to the heart of the matter,” the Doctor said, smiling at her, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Right then, we’re agreed; as long as the Harrowkind don’t come after us we leave them alone?” He looked at Jack, who was regarding him with a bemused expression. “What?”

“You made a _sensible_ choice. I’m not sure how to react.” Jack threw himself theatrically at the Time Lord. “Who are you and what have you done with the Doctor?” River and Evie both giggled, and under the cover of their laughter, the Doctor squeezed Jack’s hand and muttered the word _later_. Jack nodded once and squeezed back to indicate he’d understood, then turned to Evie. “Come on, Evie, let’s go celebrate life.” He grinned at her and led her away to his room, where he showed her - very thoroughly - how glad he was that they were both alive.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

“What is it, my love?” River asked gently, “Jack’s right - _sensible_ isn’t really your usual thing, Sweetie. So what is it that’s troubling you?”

The Doctor shrugged, trying to look casual and failing miserably. “Can’t say.”

“Oh,” she said blankly, and then she realised. “Spoilers.” It wasn’t a question. The Doctor smiled at her, but as she watched him, the smile crumpled into a pained grimace and she held out her good arm to him. He stumbled toward her with tears in his eyes and wrapped his arms around her as she sat on the elevated exam table, burying his face in her abdomen and trying hard not to sob aloud. “Oh my love, don’t cry. Please, Sweetie, I...” River trailed off as the lump in her own throat grew too large to get the words around, and just slid off the table, ignoring the pain in her shoulder, until they were slumped together on the floor. His arms were around her shoulders now, her face against the scratchy tweed of his jacket, his buried in her hair. They sat like that, the Doctor breathing in the spicy-sweet scent of River’s hair, and River listening to his hearts beat, until the tears eventually stopped for both.

“Did I hurt you?” River could barely hear the Doctor as he whispered into her hair. She shook her head and sniffled into his shirt front, and he gently tipped her chin up with one long finger. “I’m sorry, my River, sometimes the spoilers get to me,” he murmured, and kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, then the tip of her nose, and finally she reached up with her good hand and brought his mouth to hers. She moaned as he licked at her lips and he groaned her name into her mouth, lowering her gently to the floor, careful of her injured shoulder. “Oh my River...” he said, pulling back to look at her. “My lovely and perfect River Song. You are so very dear to me. No matter what happens, please, _please_ remember that. Please.” He bent his head back down to hers and murmured into her mouth. “Always and completely, my River, forever and always and completely...”

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/- 

Evie stretched luxuriously, arms over her head, and murmured sleepily, “Is he okay, Jack? The Doctor, I mean?” Jack chuckled.

“You don’t miss much, do you, Evie?” He smoothed a hand gently over her hair. “What makes you think he’s not OK?”

Evie shrugged. “Expression on his face before he controlled it, mostly. I think I’m finally learning him and how he works.” She looked pensively at Jack. “He may not be human, but he certainly has his moments, usually where River is concerned. Should I worry?”

It was Jack’s turn to shrug. “I can’t really tell you that, Evie. He said he’d tell me later. I imagine there are spoilers involved...” he trailed off, his hand still stroking her hair, revelling in the feeling of the silky strands slipping through his fingers.

“Probably,” said Evie softly, “and when I think of how sad it must be for them, the back-to-front bit, each forgetting the other, I...” she choked up, and burrowed into Jack’s chest. He kept stroking her hair, tears standing in his own eyes. _She doesn’t realise_ , he thought, _that our story is nearly as tragic_. Evie lifted her head to look him in the eye. “And you and I, my lovely Jack,” she said sadly, “we’ll remember each other, but you’ll outlive me, won’t you.” It wasn’t exactly a question, and Jack was taken aback at this new evidence of how perceptive Evie was. He nodded shortly.

“I...” he had to clear his throat. “I try not to think about it too much. Because then I miss you before you’re gone.” He closed his eyes against the remembered pain of loss. Not his team, not Ianto, not this time. But Estelle, and Lucia, and a few others who had died over the years - not in the line of duty but in old age - while he remained young. He felt Evie’s small warm hand steal around his waist and pull him as close as she could manage. And then he wept into the short cap of copper hair, while she soothed him with her touch.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

“Spoilers?” Jack asked the Doctor in a low tone. They each needed less sleep than their lovers did, but no sense in speaking loudly enough to wake them either. The Doctor nodded.

“I’ve told you of the library planet,” he said, and Jack reached out to squeeze his hand for comfort. He remembered what the Doctor had told him of the Library and the Vashta Nerada... and of River’s death on the day the Doctor met her. “The planet is - was - owned by the Lux family... and they’re the ones who hired the Harrowkind. Sexy told me,” he said, his voice getting louder and his words faster, “that they were the ones who hired the Harrowkind, and since they owned the planet where River...” he deliberately dropped his voice again, “where she died... and they financed the expedition to get her there in the first place, I...” he trailed off, looking distressed and confused, and Jack took up the thread of thought.

“You thought that maybe they - the Harrowkind - are after _River_ for some reason, not you. That capturing you was as... as bait for River? But why?”

“I don’t _know_ why, Jack,” the Doctor said helplessly. “Maybe the Lux family is working for someone else, maybe they’re devotees of the church of the Silence, _I don’t know_. But in any case, it looks like they want River, not me. And I want - I _need_ \- to keep her away from that.” He felt utterly wretched at the thought of anyone connected to the Library getting their hands on River, especially this early in her time stream. And the wretchedness showed.

“I know exactly how you feel, Doc. That outliving them all thing again, with a added cruel twist.”

“I think,” said the Doctor very carefully, “that’s why we’re friends, Jack, even though bits of me _still_ instinctively shudder away from the _fact_ ness of you. Because you really are the only person in the universe who understands... now I’ve done for the rest of them.” He took Jack’s face between his hands and kissed him gently on the forehead. “Thank you for being here,” he said simply, and walked away.

Jack looked after him, bemused. You’d think after all this time he’d be used to the Doctor behaving, well... _alien_. Sometimes it was more obvious than others though, like now, when he left an interaction like a... like a housecat; just there one moment and gone the next.

Two feminine arms, one short and soft, the other long and leanly muscled, snaked around Jack’s waist from either side. “Doing his inscrutable alien bit is he, Jack?” smiled River, and he nodded at her. Evie cuddled close to his other side and leaned her head on his torso, and he smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head.

He’s not human,” Evie said softly, stroking River’s side with the hand she had wrapped around Jack’s back. “But he loves you in a very human way. That’s important too, because you _are_ human... mostly.”

“We all are, honey,” said River. “Because to us, _human_ means _people_ , and that’s all that really matters. Not species or age or what sun you were born under. Just that we’re people... _family_.”

“A very wise woman I met once told him...” Jack nodded at the Doctor, “That he had the biggest family on Earth.” They watched the Doctor puttering around the console, spinning in place as he flipped a lever and moving his feet in a little dance as he twisted a dial, muttering little endearments to the TARDIS as he worked. “I think she was absolutely right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now a break from long fics (I know they're not long for other people). Because Real Life is heating up at Chez Grumpyjenn, so all that's happening on the fic front any time soon is reading and one-shots.


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